Computing and communication networks typically include network devices, such as routers, firewalls, switches or gateways, which transfer or switch data, such as packets, from one or more sources to one or more destinations. Network devices may operate on the packets as the packets traverse the network, such as by forwarding or filtering the packet-based network traffic. Packets may be temporarily stored in queues as packets are moved through the network devices.
Network devices may authenticate destination devices by communicating with an authentication server and may authorize the destination devices to communicate with the network based on a successful authentication. Unfortunately, some network devices (e.g., such as a switch configured as a layer-two switch) may not be able to communicate with the authentication server. Network devices that are unable to communicate with the authentication server may be unable to authenticate destination devices with which the network devices are interconnected.